When I rewatch the films, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, they are so near-perfect that I get a little choked up that they aren't absolutely perfect. I like to believe a few things that weren't shown on screen to help me enjoy the series as a whole.

1. Batman's first appearance was in 2002, Two-Face first appears in 2004. Bane attacks in 2012. Bruce Wayne is nearly 40.
2. Ras Al Ghul may have been killed by the subway crash, but he was brought to the Lazarus Pits by the League of Shadow and resurrected.
3. Between BB and TDK Batman rounds up many of the Arkham escapees. Including Victor Zsasz, Mad Hatter and Black Mask.
4. Two-Face was not killed by the fall. The same fall that didn't kill Batman. He was just unconscious and brought to a secure wing at Arkham where his identity is secure from the public and even Jim Gordon. Bruce Wayne funds this secure wing and pays off the employees there.
5. Joker is in the same secure wing at Arkham during the events of TDKR. His primary care psychiatrist is Dr. Harleen Quinzel.
6. Batman is not actually retired between TDK and TDKR, but fighting crime in secret. Alfred and Lucius don't know, Gordon may or may not suspect. The police and general public don't know about ALL the crime that happens in the city. In secret, he takes on his more underground foes.

a.) Falcone and Maroni are behind bars or otherwise incapacitated, and the Dent Act is preventing virtually any organized crime in Gotham. Oswald Cobblepot is the only man insane enough to attempt relaunching the mob. The winter after Batman's disappearance he hires Victor Fries to locate and assassinate the Batman in exchange for the funding he needs to pay for his wife's medical bills.
b.) Only a few years after The Joker's capture, a man by the name of Edward Nigma decides to follow in his footsteps and have a little fun with Batman, leaving him riddles to save an innocent woman named Pamela Eisley from certain death. Batman narrowly saves the day and discovers Poison Ivy is not as innocent as she seems.
c.) Batman tracks down the mad scientist Dr. Hugo Strange and his mindless monster Killer Croc. Croc, a man twisted by his physical deformities and violently dangerous due to chemical experimentation, brutally damages Batman's leg in battle.

7. Bane is not killed by Catwoman on the Batpod, his armor and physical flawlessness barely save his life. Him and Scarecrow are taken to the same secure wing as Joker and Two-Face.
8. Talia Al Ghul was killed in the final chase sequence of TDKR, but Ras comes out of hiding and resurrects her using the Lazarus Pits.
9. John Blake (born Robin Richard Grayson) imagines his parents were famous circus performers, but actually didn't know them. He becomes Nightwing and not "Batman." He goes on to continue battling Batman's rogues gallery, when, after Wayne Enterprises goes bankrupt, Arkham's secure wing loses funding. Dr. Harleen Quinzel, now obsessed with The Joker, assists in his release, who in turn releases the entire Asylum.
10. The events of Man of Steel take place shortly after Batman's actual retirement. Bruce believes Superman's appearance will be enough to finally inspire the world. Subsequently the real Batman is called upon to help save the world.

One of the major things that bugs me (as you can probably tell) is that Batman kills so many villains. Even if accidentally. I'm just glad that Nolan made each of these things slightly ambiguous enough for me to use my imagination.

Anyone else take part in this method of self-delusion?

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joss Whedon

Yeah [Coulson]ís dead. The entire television series is just a fever dream. Itís a Jacobís Ladder moment heís having at the point of death...

I would have loved to see Coleman Reese being used in TDKR with the scenario of Wayne losing his money because that's what Reese's job was pretty much about in TDK....keep Bruce rich(in simple terms), so him being an ally and trying to find out how Bane did what he did and then having Bane kill him would've added some closure and some development to Reese from a guy who wanted to reveal the identity of the Batman to someone who became an ally.

But...as for things I would want to believe what happened in the series?

1.) Joker went into a coma-like state sometime during those eight years after finding out Batman went into exile and then wakes up soon after Blake becomes the new Batman.

2.) Blake's first mission as a FULLY-TRAINED Batman is capturing Scarecrow and he succeeds.

3.) Gordon retires and finally makes peace with his wife while Ellen Yindel becomes the new police commissioner.

I would have loved to see Coleman Reese being used in TDKR with the scenario of Wayne losing his money because that's what Reese's job was pretty much about in TDK....keep Bruce rich(in simple terms), so him being an ally and trying to find out how Bane did what he did and then having Bane kill him would've added some closure and some development to Reese from a guy who wanted to reveal the identity of the Batman to someone who became an ally.

But...as for things I would want to believe what happened in the series?

1.) Joker went into a coma-like state sometime during those eight years after finding out Batman went into exile and then wakes up soon after Blake becomes the new Batman.

2.) Blake's first mission as a FULLY-TRAINED Batman is capturing Scarecrow and he succeeds.

3.) Gordon retires and finally makes peace with his wife while Ellen Yindel becomes the new police commissioner.

Not to derail the thread, but I think had Heath lived, that's how they would have used the Joker in TDKR. Soon as Bruce makes his return as Batman, the Joker wakes up from his years-long catatonic state, just like how it played out in TDKR graphic novel.

2. Two-Face was not killed by the fall. The same fall that didn't kill Batman.

I just read this over again and while I know this is something you would have, Batman at least had armor that protected him except for slamming down on his leg without his cape helping him out(in other situations in TDK), but Dent didn't have any protection and that's why the fall broke his neck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackWhite

Not to derail the thread, but I think had Heath lived, that's how they would have used the Joker in TDKR. Soon as Bruce makes his return as Batman, the Joker wakes up from his years-long catatonic state, just like how it played out in TDKR graphic novel.

I would have liked that as well, but as someone who was totally fine with the LoS being used and what not, I think I would have just kept Joker being in a catatonic state, even when Batman returns for one, two days tops, it never really happens until Blake becomes Batman...so, realistically, I would have liked that story to be told in form of a graphic novel and Joker wouldn't have to be mentioned at all in TDKR, still, if we're going by Ledger having passed. Joker could have been saved for a graphic novel after Blake's time as Batman.

I would have loved to see Coleman Reese being used in TDKR with the scenario of Wayne losing his money because that's what Reese's job was pretty much about in TDK....keep Bruce rich(in simple terms), so him being an ally and trying to find out how Bane did what he did and then having Bane kill him would've added some closure and some development to Reese from a guy who wanted to reveal the identity of the Batman to someone who became an ally.

But...as for things I would want to believe what happened in the series?

1.) Joker went into a coma-like state sometime during those eight years after finding out Batman went into exile and then wakes up soon after Blake becomes the new Batman.

2.) Blake's first mission as a FULLY-TRAINED Batman is capturing Scarecrow and he succeeds.

3.) Gordon retires and finally makes peace with his wife while Ellen Yindel becomes the new police commissioner.

Batman spent 7 years traveling the world and training and lost to scarecrow his first bout with him. There is no way Blake would defeat Scarecrow on his first night out

Not to derail the thread, but I think had Heath lived, that's how they would have used the Joker in TDKR. Soon as Bruce makes his return as Batman, the Joker wakes up from his years-long catatonic state, just like how it played out in TDKR graphic novel.

As much as I love that Dark Knight Returns idea, I can't see it in this movie verse because I cannot fathom Joker slipping away into a comatose state knowing Gotham is thriving on a lie about Harvey Dent that is stopping him from winning the battle for Gotham's soul.

He wouldn't sit by and not try and do something about that. That was his ace in the hole.

__________________
"Sometimes I remember it one way. Sometimes another. If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!"

When I rewatch the films, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, they are so near-perfect that I get a little choked up that they aren't absolutely perfect. I like to believe a few things that weren't shown on screen to help me enjoy the series as a whole.

1. Ras Al Ghul may have been killed by the subway crash, but he was brought to the Lazarus Pits by the league of shadow and resurrected.
2. Two-Face was not killed by the fall. The same fall that didn't kill Batman. He was just unconscious and brought to a secure wing at Arkham where his identity is secure from the public.
3. Joker is in the same secure wing at Arkham during the events of TDKR.
4. Batman is not actually retired between TDK and TDKR, but fighting crime in secret. Alfred and Lucius don't know, Gordon may or may not suspect. The police and general public don't know about ALL the crime that happens in the city.
5. Bane is not killed by Catwoman on the Batpod, his armor and physical flawlessness barely save his life. Him and Scarecrow are taken to the same secure wing as Joker and Two-Face.
6. Talia Al Ghul was killed in the final chase sequence of TDKR, but Ras comes out of hiding and resurrects her using the Lazarus Pits.

One of the major things that bugs me (as you can probably tell) is that Batman kills so many villains. Even if accidentally. I'm just glad that Nolan made each of these things slightly ambiguous enough for me to use my imagination.

Anyone else take part in this method of self-delusion?

Yeah I can agree these are all plausible in a "what if?" factor, we can all assume something like this could've happened especially in the 8 year interim.

__________________American made movies should be released first in their home country and not overseas, the hell with the foreign box office. America doesn't want any more Slumdog Avengers parading to Indian music.

I like to think that Joker was taken into federal custody after TDK. It makes more sense than him being the only patient in Arkham. I like to think Gotham is a level of Limbo and all the characters are facets of Cobb's personality at different stages in his life.

__________________
"I defeated your uncle Victarion and his Iron Fleet off Fair Isle, the first time your father crowned himself. I held Storm's End against the power of the Reach for a year, and took Dragonstone from the Targaryens. I smashed Mance Rayder at the Wall, though he had twenty times my numbers. Tell me, turncloak, what battles has the Bastard of Bolton ever won that I should fear him?" - Stannis Baratheon

But...as for things I would want to believe what happened in the series?

1.) Joker went into a coma-like state sometime during those eight years after finding out Batman went into exile and then wakes up soon after Blake becomes the new Batman.

2.) Blake's first mission as a FULLY-TRAINED Batman is capturing Scarecrow and he succeeds.

3.) Gordon retires and finally makes peace with his wife while Ellen Yindel becomes the new police commissioner.

I would like to see Blake (as Nightwing) fight Batman's more abstract villains. Perhaps a new trilogy?

vs. Hugo Strange/Killer Croc
vs. Penguin/Freeze
vs. Riddler/Ivy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anno_Domini

I just read this over again and while I know this is something you would have, Batman at least had armor that protected him except for slamming down on his leg without his cape helping him out(in other situations in TDK), but Dent didn't have any protection and that's why the fall broke his neck.

I just don't think Batman was truly left without any options. He could have jumped in front of the bullet with his bulletproof armor. He could have bataranged Dent's hand. He did everything in his power to save the Joker, grapple gunned his FOOT from 20 stories up. And yet he (inadvertantly) kills Gotham's white knight? nah. id rather be blissfully ignorant on the subject.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joss Whedon

Yeah [Coulson]ís dead. The entire television series is just a fever dream. Itís a Jacobís Ladder moment heís having at the point of death...

Batman had just been shot wearing a suit that is susceptible to knives and gun fire. I don't think he had time to strategize a non lethal way to stop Dent. I think he acted at the last second out of desperation to save a child.

__________________
"Sometimes I remember it one way. Sometimes another. If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!"

__________________
"I defeated your uncle Victarion and his Iron Fleet off Fair Isle, the first time your father crowned himself. I held Storm's End against the power of the Reach for a year, and took Dragonstone from the Targaryens. I smashed Mance Rayder at the Wall, though he had twenty times my numbers. Tell me, turncloak, what battles has the Bastard of Bolton ever won that I should fear him?" - Stannis Baratheon

Batman had just been shot wearing a suit that is susceptible to knives and gun fire. I don't think he had time to strategize a non lethal way to stop Dent. I think he acted at the last second out of desperation to save a child.

I like to believe that jakinj's webcomics happened, and that Batman made 9 covert appearances to stop major crime during his absence before he couldn't carry on any further. The "new Batman" isn't required to act very often though, but still gets advice from Bruce from time-to-time.

I like that idea of Joker in a catatonic state like Returns. But only for a portion of the 8 years.

As the years went on after TDK he slowly lost hope in the lie being uncovered, as well as Batman returning. To have it parallel Bruce's story, Joker falls into that catatonic state around the time that Bruce becomes a recluse in Wayne Manor. So the last 3 years before Rises picks up. Would love to think of Harley Quinn as the psychiatrist slowly helping out the Joker before and after this.

I also am a fan of Jakinj's 9 Bat appearance idea (post-tdk). Sometimes i like to believe that some of his pieces were true. Not really the bat-family stuff though.

Im a believer of the 3 year gap between Begins and Knight so my imagination runs wild with that. Batman taking on more mob bosses and henchmen (Penguin, Black Mask, Alberto Falcone, Killer Croc). Leftovers from the previous film (Zsasz, Scarecrow). And inmates from Arkham who broke out (Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, Ventriloquist).

3.) Gordon retires and finally makes peace with his wife while Ellen Yindel becomes the new police commissioner.

I like this too. But with Gordon having a fling with Sarah Essen first. They agree to not see each other anymore, he wants to retire and misses his wife and family. He leaves Gotham to work out things with them. Ellen Yindel takes over.

Batman had just been shot wearing a suit that is susceptible to knives and gun fire. I don't think he had time to strategize a non lethal way to stop Dent. I think he acted at the last second out of desperation to save a child.

But he had time to save the Joker from dying in a very similar manner.

Merely used "white knight" to illustrate what should have been Batman's extreme reluctance to let Dent die. As opposed to letting the Joker die, which would have been quite a bit easier on his conscience I assume.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joss Whedon

Yeah [Coulson]ís dead. The entire television series is just a fever dream. Itís a Jacobís Ladder moment heís having at the point of death...